The Valued Lady is Truly Dominant

Five years have passed, and changes have swept through both the Great Qing and the Song Family.

The prestige and influence of the Family Head, Song Zhiyuan, have grown tremendously, making him the most powerful minister in the Great Qing, with no one daring to rival him.

Among the younger generation, Song Lingsu passed the autumn imperial examination in the 27th year, achieving the rank of Scholar. However, he merely served as an official at the Hanlin Academy for a year. Unable to adapt to the political tides, he resigned with the support of Song Ci and Song Zhiyuan to become a teacher at Lushan Academy. There, he upholds Confucian ideals of benevolence, dedicating himself to propagating the education of benevolence and literature. He is currently compiling and organizing a historical document of the Great Qing.

This decision angered Madam to the point of suffering a stroke in her middle age, leaving her bedridden for months before she recovered. With no choice, she had to hand over household management to her daughter-in-law, becoming noticeably more dispirited.

During these five years, he and Guan Shuyan welcomed a son and a daughter in the 25th and 27th years of Shengping. Now, Guan Shuyan is pregnant again and is expected to give birth around the end of winter.

As for Song Lingjie, he married Fu Yunjin, the third daughter of the Fu Family, in the 26th year. While their relationship is not as harmonious and affectionate as Song Lingsu and Guan Shuyan, they treat each other with respect, and over the years, more feelings have developed between them through understanding and compromise.

In fact, after a few years of marriage, they have finally welcomed their own children, twins — a boy and a girl.

Song Lingjie achieved third place in the autumn imperial examination in the 28th year and was appointed as an Archivist at the Hanlin Academy. However, this is merely a transitional role, as he is expected to be dispatched elsewhere no later than next year.

There’s no other way. Being the Crown Prince’s man, he must be dispatched early to gain experience and qualifications to assist the new emperor in the future.

Among the daughters and granddaughters close at hand, Song Ruqian has added a son, yet the most impressive is Song Ruqi. After going to Jiangnan, she gave birth to two more sons, now boasting three sons. Needless to say, she carries herself with pride. It’s said they are hoping for a fourth child, with both the couple and their sons wishing for a sister to join the family.

Life is comfortable for some, but not for all. Song Lingzhao, far away in the Northwest, has become a battle-hardened young general over the years, yet stands as a solitary figure, much to the worry of his mother, Madam Jiang. How she wishes to find a daughter-in-law for him and have her sent there!

But Song Lingzhao has stated that he has no patience for dainty young ladies and wants someone who can withstand hardships. This declaration, conveyed in a letter, angered Madam Jiang to the point of complaining in front of Song Ci, insisting that marrying a wife is supposed to be about family and warmth, not about finding someone to endure hardships. Does he intend to develop a bad habit of hitting his wife while in the Northwest?

Each generation has its own fortunes, and so Song Ci can only advise Madam Jiang to let him choose for himself.

Such is the situation of the second house. As for the third house, over the years, Song Lingzhou was forced to pass the Scholar’s examination, bringing immense joy to Madam Lu. But what of Song Ruwei?

Originally, per Song Zhiqing’s plan, she was to wait until the Crown Prince selected a consort. However, since his leg failed, leaving him unable to hold office, Song Ruwei lost the qualification to be considered for selection.

Without that qualification, arrangements for marriage naturally had to be made. Madam Lu took a liking to the Duke Cheng’en and even considered asking Song Ci to appeal to the Empress Dowager for a marriage grant. Yet, Duke Cheng’en himself approached the Empress Dowager, requesting the marriage of the Song Family’s fourth young lady, Song Ruzhen, also known as Yuanyuan.

The Empress Dowager was pleased to form an alliance with Song Ci and promptly issued an edict. Needless to say, Madam Lu’s inner thoughts need no elaboration.

Ultimately, Song Zhiyuan arranged a marriage for Song Ruwei with the second son of Su Tongzhan’s elder brother, the Prince Consort of Princess Anping. He holds the position of Assistant Governor of Wuchuan Prefecture, of the Sixth Rank, and is currently serving his term away from home with her husband.